Natural Love
by iloveromance
Summary: When Daphne finds Niles at Cafe Nervosa in a most unusual state, unexpected urges for her husband begin to stir. Despite her late term pregnancy, she longs to relive the passion that they once knew. (Episodes: "Murder Most Maris"/"No Sex Please, We're Skittish")***Rated M***
1. Chapter 1

She was just drifting off to sleep when the phone rang. At once the erotic dream she'd been having about her husband vanished and the shrill ringing of the phone that replaced it shook her to the core. So much for dreams; or in this case, fantasies.

It was a dream that she'd been having more and more as the months went by. The realization that she and Niles couldn't do the thing that she most wanted to do pained her. And that pain produced the familiar feeling of guilt. The most ironic thing of all was that the thing she most wanted to do was exactly the reason that they couldn't. Not yet anyway.

 _For months they'd been trying to conceive a baby, but the odds weren't at all in their favor. And so, they'd learned to perfect their attempts at trying again and again; making love at all hours and in almost every place imaginable. They made love in every room of their home in the Montana, including the kitchen, which was an adventure in itself._

 _Niles loathed the idea at first but Daphne quickly showed him how sexy and erogenous a kitchen could be. After all, they had quite a history there, getting ready for Niles' fictitious date with the even more fictitious Phyllis._

 _Ever since that fateful night, even without realizing that Niles had conjured up a story about wanting to make dinner for a woman he was in love with, the song "Heart and Soul" was forever engraved on her own heart. Years later when he finally told her the truth about that evening, she'd been so touched by the gesture that she'd started to cry. Niles, of course, assumed the worst and began to apologize profusely. But it took no time at all to convince him that he'd made her happier than she'd ever dreamed. The fact that he'd planned the whole evening simply because she'd overheard him telling Frasier in the kitchen that he loved someone (and that someone turned out to be her!), touched her deeply. From that moment on, she loved him even more. But not as much as she loved him now, and she longed to give him the child that she knew he so desperately wanted._

 _Their lovemaking commenced on almost a daily basis, not just in the kitchen and the bedrooms, living room, study and guest room but other places as well. They even had a few lovemaking sessions on Frasier's sofa, when Martin and Frasier weren't at home of course. Who said house-sitting had to be dull?_

 _However, no matter how many conventional and not so conventional methods that she and Niles tried, the reality of a baby was becoming less and less. And on the nights that she disappeared into the bathroom her pregnancy test in hand, she was sure that it would be the night that she'd come to Niles with the good news._

 _But too many times, she'd emerged from the bathroom, collapsing in tears into the comfort of Niles' waiting arms when she glanced at the tiny window that indicated that she was not yet pregnant. The wonderful man that he was, he held her through the night, singing softly into her ear as she cried herself to sleep.  
However the more the scenario happened, the more she longed to have a baby, until the need was so great that it was almost unbearable. _

_And then it happened._

 _One night, just moments before she knew he was due to arrive home from work; she'd done her best to make the apartment seem as romantic as possible. The ovulation test in her hand indicated that she was ovulating, making it the perfect time to try again._

 _He'd barely walked through the door when she walked down the staircase, clad in her sexy black nightgown and robe. He was rendered speechless. The video tape he'd held in his hand dropped to the floor and for a second he stared at her in disbelief. Within seconds she was in his arms, kissing him deeply._

 _However, he seemed distracted.  
_

 _"What's wrong?"  
_

 _"I have something to tell you."  
_

 _"What is it?"  
_

 _"I had some disappointing news from the doctor today. It seems that I suffer from low motility and it might not be possible for us to conceive."_

 _She tried to hide her disappointment, but she felt as though she might cry. However, she wouldn't cry in front of him; not when he was obviously so upset. And although it appeared so on the surface, it wasn't his fault. He couldn't be guilty of something he had absolutely no control over.  
_

" _Oh… I see."  
_

 _"I'm so sorry."_

" _Oh, don't be sorry." She said, suddenly finding courage as she smiled at him. "We'll be all right. There are lots of things they can do. And until we're able to do them, I don't see what's wrong with giving Mother Nature another try."  
_

 _He swallowed hard, never taking his eyes off of her chest. And that's exactly where she wanted them to be._ _ _His eyes widened as she reached into her nightgown and smiled mischievously, revealing the familiar white stick."I took the test today. I'm ovulating."__

 _"Last one upstairs-."  
_

 _Like two children they ran for the stairs but he paused on the landing, taking the stick from her and examining it closer. "Daphne, this isn't the ovulation test, this is the pregnancy test."  
_

 _"Oh, silly me. They both look so much alike that I-." She froze, her heart racing. She wanted so much to believe that it was true, but there was as always the tiniest bit of doubt. Slowly their eyes moved toward the tiny window. And she knew that he noticed the pink plus sign the moment that she did. It was a dream come true.  
_

" _We-we're pregnant!" Niles shouted.  
_

 _Tears streamed down her cheeks and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing tears of joy. "Oh Niles…"_

 _The kisses turned passionate and they headed upstairs unable to hide their love for one another. And that evening their lovemaking session took a different turn. It was a celebration that would last though the night.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

The shrill sound cut into her thoughts and like a puff of magic, the dream vanished. Daphne groaned and began the near-impossible task of turning onto her side to climb out of bed. When she looked into the mirror she was reminded of how much weight she'd gained. She was absolutely enormous and the extra weight made doing even the simplest tasks extremely difficult.

After a few moments she managed to stand, aware of how much her feet were aching. Everything hurt. She was fat, tired and oh so hungry. But first things first. She had to answer the phone. However, even the act of reaching for the phone was difficult and for a flicker of a second she wondered if getting pregnant had been worth it.

"Hello?"

 _"Daphne, it's Roz."  
_

Daphne groaned at the sound of her friend's voice. She loved Roz of course, but she really wasn't in the mood to hear about Roz's latest man. All she wanted to do was to curl up in her warm bed and dream about her handsome prince.

"Oh, hello Roz. Look, I don't mean to be rude but I'm very tired and I really need to take a nap. Can you call back later?"

 _"Daphne, you_ _really_ _need to get down to Nervosa right now! It's an emergency!"  
_

"Oh Roz, what could be so important that you'd drag me all the way out to that silly coffee shop?"

 _"It's Niles."_

Daphne's breath caught in her throat and she almost dropped the phone. Suddenly it was hard to breathe. "What?"

 _"It's Niles."_ Roz repeated.

"Wh-what is it, Roz? What's happened?"

 _"It's crazy, Daphne. One minute he's standing behind me in line asking for a straw, which they were out of and now he's…."_

Daphne's hand flew to her mouth and she began to cry as a million thoughts swirled through her head. "Oh God... is it his heart?"

 _"Noooo…"_ Roz said, almost carefully as though wanting to drag the word out. _"But I think you need to get down there right now."  
_

"I'll be right there." She said, absently hanging up the phone.

Without hesitation she grabbed her purse and keys and jumped into her car, driving as fast as she could toward Café Nervosa. But along the way she said a silent prayer;

" _God, please let him be okay. I can't lose him."  
_


	3. Chapter 3

The closer she came to Café Nervosa, the more apprehensive she felt. And by the time she pulled into a parking space on the street, she was sobbing. But whatever had happened to her loving and wonderful husband, she couldn't let him see her like this. It would only upset him, if he were still coherent. The thought that he might be unconscious or… dare she think it… clinging to life made her sob even harder. She remained in the car sobbing into her hands for what seemed like hours. And when she was all cried out, she dried her eyes and got out of the car. Woodenly she walked into the café, prepared for the worst.

The minute she reached the door, she was cornered by Roz.

"Where is he? Is he all right?" She demanded. "Is it his heart?"

"He's fine… sort of." Roz said carefully. "You see…"

Her eyes moved to Roz's hands that held a familiar dark suit, a purple tie and a white shirt. "What are those?"

"Niles' clothes."

"Why do you have them?"

"Well…"

She followed Roz's gaze to the window where she saw two familiar hands holding up an unfolded copy of the Seattle Times.

"Niles…"

Unable to contain her disbelief, she moved closer. It only took one look to confirm what she already feared. He was completely naked.

"Niles?"

He turned down a corner of the paper and grinned at her, his normally neat hair completely disheveled. "Hey!"

She smiled, feeling a bit nervous. "Hello, Sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm just fine. Would you like to sit down?"

"Well, all right." Daphne said, pulling out a chair. "Why does Roz have your clothes?"

"Clothes are so conforming, don't you think?"

"They certainly can be, but… Niles, what's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"Catching up on the news." He said. "There's a heatwave in Texas."

"Yes, they have those often, don't they, Darling? But…"

"Daphne, can I kiss you?"

Her heart warmed at his words. "Of course you may, Sweetheart. What was I thinking?"

She moved closer to him, almost grateful that her huge stomach hid his naked body. But that didn't stop her from looking him up and down. When she was sure that his body was hidden from view by way of her stomach, she gently took the paper from him and laid it on the table. "I've missed you Darling." She said, taking him into her arms.

But she wasn't prepared for how doing so would make her feel. His body was pressed against hers and she could feel every part of him. Their lips touched and she kissed him with all the passion she could muster, giving no thought to the audience around them. When she wrapped her arms around him, her hands slid down to the curve of his bare hips, bringing him closer to her. And it was then that she kissed him even deeper. He was the sexiest man she'd ever known. And suddenly she wanted him badly.

She wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold out. But she knew they had to hurry.


	4. Chapter 4

"Daphne? Daphne… I think there's something wrong with Niles!" Roz was saying. "You'd better… take him somewhere and put some clothes on him."

But Daphne wasn't listening. She stood with her arms around her husband, her hands around his bare hips, her head tilted back as he trailed kisses down her neck. The feel of his naked body against hers (even though fully clothed), was nothing short of erotic. If only they weren't in a public place, it would have been so easy to strip off her own clothes and press her body against his until they became one and-."

"Daphne!"

Startled, Daphne turned around, causing Roz to cover her eyes. "What?"

Her hand over her eyes, Roz handed Daphne Niles' pants and shirt. "You should probably…"

"Oh..." Daphne said finally. "Right… Thank you, Roz." And then she turned to her husband and smiled. "Sweetheart, why don't we put these on, okay?"

He looked at the clothes for a moment and then shook his head. "Um… Nah, I'm good."

Daphne laughed nervously. There were so many responses to that comment; none of which were appropriate in a café. "Please, Sweetheart? For me?"

He groaned. "Clothes are too tight. So conforming."

"I know." She said, feeling strangely sympathetic. He did have a point. Since she'd gotten pregnant, her clothes, even maternity ones, were much too tight. "But I promise, the moment we get home, you can take them off again."

He gasped, his eyes widening. "Really?"

She smiled and kissed him. "Anything for you, my darling."

"Daphne… you really should put some clothes on him or at least go somewhere that's away from other people. Taylor and Robert over there are about to call the cops!"

Daphne turned and glanced at the baristas who were deep in conversation. Robert held the phone in his hand. And then she looked at Niles.

"I-I tried to call Frasier but he's not answering." Roz added.

Daphne didn't hesitate. She knew all too well what would happen were the cops to show up at Nervosa. It would be front page news and Niles would be completely humiliated. His reputation was so important to him and she had to respect that, even if she didn't see the point of being a high-profile Seattleite.

She swallowed hard. "Right… Roz… can you… find something so that I can cover Niles up and take him to put on his clothes?"

Roz smiled. "Sure. No problem."

Daphne watched as Roz walked over to the baristas and engaged in silent conversation. Seconds later she returned with two Kelly green aprons in her hand. "These are on loan. They want them back. Cleaned of course."

"Of course." Daphne said. She'd barely turned around when Niles kissed her once again, making her laugh. "Niles what are you doing?"

"Mmmm…" He said dreamily. "I love kissing you. Is that all right?"

His words, although a bit delusional, warmed her heart and she laid her hands on his bare chest, content to feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "You're sweet. Of course it's all right. I love kissing you too. But right now we need to get you dressed so that we can go home, okay?"

He groaned again. "All right."

"Daphne, I don't think those will… cover him up completely if you know what I mean." Roz pointed out.

"Don't worry, Roz. We'll think of something." Daphne replied.

"Okay, well do it fast because they are seconds away from calling the cops!"

Daphne eyed the aprons for a moment and then smiled at her loving husband. "Now… we'll just slip this over your head like this. And the other one… And let me tie these together, okay?"

"I love you, Daphne."

"I love you too, Niles. Now take my hand and let's go in here."

He did as she asked and she led him to the Ladies' room. When they got inside she was thankful to find it empty and she hurried to lock the door. But it was almost impossible to hide her desire for him. However, she knew that the cops were bound to show up any minute. And so she worked quickly to help him into his clothes and smiled at his unusual appearance. It wasn't often (practically never) that she saw her husband with wrinkled pants and an un-tucked shirt, wearing shoes without socks. She almost liked this side of him.

But there was something she wanted even more. And she could hardly wait to get home.


	5. Chapter 5

Her hand gently in his, Daphne led her husband out of the bathroom and back into the café, where the looks they received were almost as disconcerting as the ones they had received when Niles was wearing nothing at all. Couldn't they mind their own bloody business?

"The cops will be here in fifteen minutes." Erik said without as much as a smile on his face.

Daphne glared at the barista who had dumped her so unceremoniously on that rainy, stormy night. Poor Niles had done his best to comfort her when she'd come over to the mansion and had broken down into tears. Never did she imagine that one day she'd be married to her boss's brother, much less carrying his baby…. Their baby. It was an absolute dream come true.  
The thought made her smile and she brushed away a few tears, glaring once again at her ex-boyfriend. Sometimes things worked out for the best.

"How dare you!" She yelled. "He's dressed now, so why can't you leave me husband alone? He's done nothing wrong and neither have I? But I can see we're not welcome here and I have no intention of dealing with any bloody cops! if you have a problem with that you can call Martin Crane. He'll understand. He was a detective, you know! Come on, Niles. Let's get out of here!"

"Daphne, come on..."

"And your music's terrible!" she finished, smiling triumphantly at Eric as she pulled Niles through the café.

Still holding onto Niles' hand, they went to the car and she'd never been so relieved to leave a building in her life. She opened the car door and helped him inside, taking a moment to kiss his lips. "I love you, Niles."

"I love you too, Daphne." His voice was small and almost dream-like, making her laugh and move closer to him. "Can I kiss you again?"

"Of course you can. I'd love to."

They kissed once more and she touched her forehead to his. "That was lovely, darling. Thank you."

"Kiss me again, Daphne."

She laughed. "Niles…"

"Please?"

His boyish grin made her smile and she couldn't resist. "All right, just one more. And then when we get home, we'll get out of these confining clothes."

Unexpectedly he drew her closer and kissed her with sudden urgency. It was such a warm, passionate kiss that she knew she'd never forget it. And when she drew back, her lips (and subsequently the rest of her body) burned and ached for more.

She needed him, oh so badly and she knew that she could wait no longer.

* * *

They arrived home in record time and she coaxed him out of the car, holding tightly to his hand. The moment they walked through the back door, she kicked off her shoes and helped him remove his shoes as well. It was all she could do not to think about how badly she needed him while she led him through the living room and up the stairs.

The bedroom… _Their_ bedroom, was calling.


	6. Chapter 6

She couldn't get to the bedroom fast enough, and it had nothing to do with her large stomach, or the fact that her feet hurt so badly. When they finally arrived, she wasted no time in helping Niles to unbutton his shirt as quickly as possible. The less time wasted the better.

But as she looked around their bedroom, she realized at once how romantic it was and she had an immediate change of heart. It was incredibly romantic and they'd taken advantage of the setting time and time again, making love at all hours of the night until finally they'd been blessed with a pregnancy. She missed making love to him more than he would ever know… more than anyone could possibly understand; even herself. Even in her desperate need to become one with him, to feel his skin next to hers, she didn't want to rush this moment. She wanted it to happen naturally, and when it finally did, she wanted it to last forever.

Giving him a soft kiss on the lips, she moved about the bedroom, lighting every candle that was in immediate sight. The soft flames flickered against the wall, giving the room a heavenly glow as she turned off the lights. And then she went to her husband, kissing him again.

"There, that's better, isn't it? Now how about some music?"

She picked up the remote and aimed it at the CD player, filing the room with soft, sensuous music; one of her favorite songs.

Now, she was ready.

"All right, let's just get these clothes off of you." His wrinkled shirt was first and she removed it slowly, unbuttoning each button, giving him a kiss in between. The shirt hung around his shoulders and she slid it off of his shoulders, taking a moment to admire his chest. It was so incredibly sexy. And it was impossible to resist the urge to trail kisses across his shoulders and collar bone. Next were his pants, removed a bit faster by unbuckling his belt and sliding it out of the loops. Her hands found the button and the zipper, allowing her to free him of the wrinkled pants that couldn't have been at all comfortable. The poor man… she'd do anything to make it up to him.

When at last he was free of his clothing; his socks and boxers lay in a heap at his feet, her eyes moved up and down his naked body. She smiled suggestively. "Niles Crane, you are the handsomest, sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on."

He moved toward her, pressing his body against hers, kissing her in much the same way as he'd done in the car. Her sexual desire for him was almost about to spin out of control. Oh, how she loved the feel of this man… her husband... her best friend, sliding her clothes from her body. It was the most erotic feeling imaginable. He was undressing her the same way that she'd undressed him, and she was incredibly grateful for his thoughtfulness. She made a note to thank him properly once they were ready to make love.

He was looking at her now, smiling as he admired her naked body; her huge stomach and breasts that felt much too large. The lines on her hips from where her skin had stretched… How could he possibly find her attractive? He was leaning down now, kissing the swell of her stomach; their baby. She felt the baby move, as though he or she could tell that Daddy was there. And tears slid down her cheeks. It was the most beautiful moment imaginable.


	7. Chapter 7

They climbed into bed, moving as close to one another as they could possibly get. She did her best to move into the position that she knew so well and smiled, inviting him in. this was the part that she enjoyed most; the beginning. And what a beginning it was. But as they prepared to make sweet, passionate love and go as far as they could possibly go, her heart was racing with anticipation. He drew her close to him, kissing her sensually as his body moved against hers. She cried out, not in ecstasy, but in pain; very real pain. For she hadn't expected it to hurt so much. Her body just wasn't moving the way she wanted it to. Her stomach was very much in the way. However she was determined to follow through, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

They changed positions again and again, but as before it didn't feel right. She turned onto her side, coaxing him to do the same. If they couldn't make love the traditional way, there was certainly nothing wrong with trying something new. But their efforts were met with the same results… disappointment. Through it all they kissed and touched and caressed each other's lips and bodies, saying the sweet things they always said to each other while making love. She may have looked different and felt different, but she wanted the moment to be as comfortable as possible. His hands were on her body, touching her everywhere, making her cry out in pleasure. But it wasn't enough. She did the same for him, but her size made it awkward.

Finally she heard him curse under his breath, followed by the muttered words; "I can't do this…" The horror came when she felt him climb off the bed with a frustrated, almost angry sigh. She tried to lift her head to look at him, but she couldn't bring herself to move from the pillow. It was oh so easy to curl up into a ball.

At once the frustration of knowing that she couldn't make love to her husband; to satisfy his needs and hers hit her full force. And she burst into tears, crying as though she might never stop.

She was still sobbing when she felt the bed shift under his weight again. Suddenly she felt a soft fabric against her back; silk. He had changed his clothes and as wearing his robe and pajamas, spooning against her. His face was in her hair, taking in the scent.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry." He whispered into her hair. "What I said before… I didn't' mean it. You know that making love to you is the greatest pleasure of my life. Remember all the times that we made love in Belize? It was heavenly…"

She cried harder and he kissed her shoulder, his mouth making its way down her back. As she sobbed, he wrapped his arms around her still-naked body, doing his best to comfort her. "I love you so much, my angel…"

When her sobs had subsided, she turned in his arms. "I hate this! I wish that I'd never gotten pregnant!"


	8. Chapter 8

The moment she'd said the words, she regretted them. She sat up and gasped; her hand over her trembling mouth. "Oh God, Niles... I didn't mean that! I love being pregnant! I love you and I love our baby! You have to believe that! I do, I-."

He was kissing her, doing his best to comfort her while she sobbed uncontrollably. "I wish…"

He pulled her into his arms and held her close, rocking her back and forth the way he might someday do with their son or daughter. She cried until she was spent and even the way he was rubbing her bare back and shoulders was of little comfort.

"Hey, come on, it's all right." He whispered.

"I'm sorry, Niles. I didn't mean it! I meant-."

His hands cradled her face, forcing her to look into his eyes of blue. "I know, my love. I know…" His hands moved from her cheek to her chin and she was kissing him again; the way a desperate and lonely woman might. But she was no longer desperate or lonely.

"I know what you meant and there's no need to be sorry." He was saying. "I can't even imagine what you must be going through. This pregnancy… it was difficult to conceive, and now that we've come this far…"

"Niles…"

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you at Nervosa this afternoon. I don't know what came over me. I'll be the laughing stock of Seattle and my practice…"

"Your practice will be just fine. And they'll have to go through me if they have a problem with it." Daphne said, her words echoing what she'd said to Erik earlier at Cafe Nervosa in regards to Martin.

"This fiasco with Maris has me so frazzled." He continued.

She nodded. "It's not your fault, Niles. I'm the one..."

He kissed her cheeks and her bare shoulders, trailing kisses down her neck. "You're so beautiful. And I can't wait to meet our new son or daughter."

"Niles…"

He was brushing away the tears that slid down her cheeks. "I'm sorry we can't make love, Daphne."

"I wanted to, so badly…" She sobbed. "I need you so much. I need every part of you…"

"I know… and we will make love, when the time is right. And it will be beautiful."

In his arms, she shivered. His face registered concern.

"Are you cold, Daphne?"

"A-a little."

He climbed out of bed and went to her dresser, removing her nightgown and some lingerie. "Go and get dressed for bed, all right? I'll be here waiting for you."

"I love you so much, Niles."

"I love you too, Daphne."

After one last kiss, she climbed out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. Minutes later she emerged, freshly showered and changed into her lingerie and nightgown. When she entered the bedroom, she sighed, taking a moment to admire him.

He was sound asleep; his arms outstretched as though waiting for her to join him in slumber. Silently she did as he'd asked and was asleep almost immediately. It was the most wonderful night imaginable; even fully clothed.

 _ **THE END**_


End file.
